Speech of Yavuz Mildon, President of the Chamber of Regions

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Conference on integrated policies for childhood and youth –Needs of disadvantaged urban

Strasbourg, 30 January – 1 February

Mr Chairman,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the end of the 1980s, a new initiative was launched in Moscow, known as the Youth Residential Complex. The first such Complex was built in Saburovo, on the city outskirts. It was an urban area meant for young families. It had its own statute and the Management Board – a mini-government elected by the young families themselves. It had stores, sports and entertainment facilities, and other businesses. It gave the people living there a sense of belonging to one family responsible for making their own decisions about their future – and the first taste of democracy as they were electing their own government.

This innovative project was only possible because it was supported by the City of Moscow. Today, as we are closing this Conference on disadvantaged urban areas, the need for more innovative projects of this kind is clear to all of us. Disadvantaged urban areas have been neglected for far too long, seen by many us primarily an issue of public security, not a social issue. However, last year’s urban violence clearly showed that we will not achieve security and safety of our citizens unless we address the social causes of deprived neighbourhoods, rooted in the lack of integration, lack of education and professional training, lack of employment – and public prejudices and stereotypes about such areas.

The French insurance companies estimate the damage caused by last year’s riots at 200 million euros. Let us imagine for a minute what could have been achieved if this money were spent intelligently on investing in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and in special projects in their favour, rather than on cleaning up the mess afterwards.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the launching meeting of the Council of Europe Forum on the Future of Democracy in November last year, the keynote speaker Timothy Ash stressed the importance of local government for the development of deprived neighbourhoods and participation of local residents – including foreign residents – in democratic processes, for their integration into mainstream society and the possibility to express themselves – and be represented. As the President of the Chamber of Regions of the Council of Europe Congress, I would add that participation at regional level is equally important – however, these processes begin, of course, at local level because regions do not exist in the void but are made up of local communities. Only if we start at local level can we spread new initiatives to regional level – and eventually, to national and pan-European level.

This is why this Conference was so important. It gave us the opportunity to compare various approaches in 123 cities of Europe and the United States. It highlighted the need for integrated policies in favour of children and young people – and, I would add, their parents – in deprived neighbourhoods. It reminded us that the Council of Europe, with its pan-European dimension, has already provided a good legal basis for integration and participation policies – the Convention on the participation of foreign residents and the Charter on the participation of young people.

Last but not least, this Conference took further the Berlin Process launched in November 2004 in the German capital. I am convinced that this process will now be advanced by other cities – advanced not only through conferences but also through specific, and innovative, action at local level. We need to go from theory to practice, from words to deeds, from adopted policies to concrete projects. We need to do so because we are building a Europe of Social Cohesion where there is no place for excluded areas where people are put at a disadvantage only on the basis of where they live. We need equal treatment for all – because this is the only way to defend human rights, which is the vocation and primary mission of the Council of Europe.

Let me now share with you some conclusions reached in our five working panels.

I would say that the most important conclusion – or even appeal, if you wish – in all five panels was to see young people in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, much as young people anywhere else, as a chance for the future – our chance for the future. Not to stigmatise them, not to put negative labels on them, instead – to break the negative stereotype of these young people which we sometimes, and sometimes often, have. To help them, we need a real holistic approach, a joint effort of all actors involved – national governments, municipal councils, civil society, and social workers.

We need a coherent policy at local level – a genuine dialogue of local government with practitioners dealing with this youth, the young people who are often discriminated simply on the basis of the level of their prosperity, and who are entitled to respect as anybody else.

Another panel stressed the importance of activism among young people themselves, especially as immigrants are concerned – the creation of youth organisations to help newcomers to integrate into mainstream society, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to enlarge intercultural dialogue and understanding, and acceptance of the other’s differences.

And, of course, we need a trialogue between youth workers, youth researchers and youth policy makers – better communication between research, politics and NGOs. Practical research must be the basis for political action; at the same time, NGOs in their action should take into account results of research as far as young people are concerned.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the participants of this Conference for committing their time and energy to this very important issue – children and young people in disadvantaged urban areas. We should never forget that investing in them means investing in the future of our societies.

Let us work together to make the Berlin Process a sustainable process for the benefit of the future generations. I thank you for your commitment and hope to see you again with new projects and new initiatives.

Thank you.